Sreenadhudu staged in Atlanta by Musical Troupe from India
Anyone who saw the magical play Sreenadhudu at the Hindu Temple of Atlanta was simply spellbound by the concept of "padya natika" (musical play). The play was staged by the VishwaShanti Cultural Association in Hyderabad, and local sponsorship was provided by TAMA. In the known history of TAMA, this was the first commercial Telugu play shown in Atlanta. It was also the first time that local artists participated with seasonal professionals from India, and they performed on par with them on the same stage. Sreenadhudu, with the lead role played by Gummadi, is a 12-scene drama that runs for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Akella, the director, brings a fantastic musical vision to the production. With Sreenadhudu, he has reversed the trend and re-popularized the padya natakam. Akella has written for about 70 Telugu films, and he is the winner of various awards that include the coveted Nandi Award and the Sahitya Academy Award.
Although the original production team had 30 artists, only 10 of them could come to this country. Akella was gracious enough to include two of the local talent to ease the pressure on the artists. It also provided a great opportunity for the Atlanta-based artists. Ramakanth Rallapalli played the role of a scholar in 3 scenes, while Syam Sundar Yellamraju played the role of the kind ?Proudha Rayalu'. Despite not having enough rehearsals, their acting was well received, and they have been invited to travel with the troupe to perform again in Houston and New York!
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